Clergy Journey

Right on the heels of the October Clergy Conference, 20 clergy representing three generations of clergy cohorts came together for two days at Cross Roads Camp and Retreat Center, to take a deep dive into some new material and rekindle commitment to the missional journey and their fellow clergy in their cohorts.

Developing relationships. Building trust. Improving leadership skills. The bonding that happens when you spend 2½ days together. This is how participants describe the Clergy Intensive held May 15-17, 2018,

On Saturday, March 4, 125 individuals representing 43 congregations attended the kick-off gathering for the three-month “Listening Excursion” announced at Convention in January. After a busy four hours they went home with tangible first steps for introducing simple practices into the life of their congregations that will help them listen to God, each other and their neighbors.

The Diocese of Newark is blessed with a talented group of coaches who are also great leaders. They are guiding diocesan teams towards joining God in our neighborhoods and communities and better understanding the challenges we face on this journey. Read on to meet our diocesan coaches and learn about the different roles in which they serve.

In this podcast, Ginny Dinsmore, Suzanne Willian and Kay Lark – all intimately involved in the Joining God in Shaping Our Future process – quickly review some of the experiments and excitement that came out of the report-outs in June. They also describe what to expect next, including the three gatherings this September - Listening Tables - to which all members of the diocese are invited.

Transforming congregations requires changing the roles of leaders. Leaders need to be like gardeners, cultivating the ground to develop rich soil in which plants will thrive and grow.